Learning to Live
by Ten no Kuroko
Summary: How Ryo arrives in the Tamer universe and what might happen if Milleniummon were the primary personality after the fusion with Monodramon.
1. Prologue

**I really want more Fanfiction on Ryo and Milleniummon. Since nothing more seems to be forthcoming, here is my try at one. I got most of my information on the Wonderswan plot and all from other Fanfiction. Especially from Laryna6 and Ajora's.**

 **In this Prologue Ryo falls through Cyberspace. He can't think clearly and what you read here is pretty much he at his core, without experience telling him what might be wrong with it.**

Prologue

He felt himself falling. Then he was floating. Sometimes he felt a prickling sensation on his skin, but at other times he felt as though he was falling through water. Other times he felt nothing at all. He couldn't really tell what he was feeling now or where he was. All he knew was that he needed to hold on – had to hold onto what was his.

He fell through the code which described fire and water, plains and mountains. Sometimes the code around him spoke of living beings thinking, moving, living. Sometimes battles took place in between the code and something was erased, parts incorporated into the winner to make what remained stronger.

And he wondered what happened. He felt as though the code should have gone somewhere else. But he couldn't quite comprehend where.

Another code was erased right next to him. The boy? curled into himself, around an egg? and looked down. That was when he realised he was made up of code too. A mass of numbers and symbols brought together in some kind of shape with arms and legs and a torso, all curled around another mass of code with a similar code, yet different.

The egg? he guarded was His, he knew. It was what he had fought and lost without knowing. Defenseless without him, it would grow and change shape, grow into what it once was like the others were supposed to. Yet it would also be different for it was finally found. It was where it was supposed to be.

And the boy? wished it had always been so. He wished he hadn't destroyed this precious code in his arms, and he wished it would forgive him. He wished those missing and scrambled pieces in it would heal and be what they should always have been. They had hurt each other before. Now the price had been paid. Yes, the pain and suffering had been enough. The wars and battles they had waged against each other were enough. They had paid the world for their sins with it was time to rest. Maybe it was time to heal. Maybe they could finally truly get to know each other. Maybe, finally, they could heal each other.

And so the boy? embraced his egg? as they fell through time and space into this new world, for a new beginning.

#####

In another time, a computer bid farewell and wished him luck, for the good of all, as he watched a similar boy fall down a cliff.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The boy awoke slowly. He listened for something, not opening his eyes and staying relaxed – if he was held captive it was easier to flee if the captors didn't know he was awake. No loud noises, just muffled sound as though from far away. He lay on a bed. The material was rough, but kept him at least somewhat warm. So if he was held captive they at least wanted to seem somewhat civil.

Ryo tried to remember what had happened.

He had met ENIAC, the super computer governing the Digital World, been given Monodramon as a partner and been sent through time multiple times to fight against Milleniummon. Right. What had happened then? He had been fighting one last battle together with Monodramon against Milleniummon. They had finally used DNA-Digivolution to hopefully, finally, seal away Milleniummon in Monodramon.

In the end Ryo got to choose where he wanted to go. He could either return to his old universe with everything as it was, or he could have a new beginning in a new world.

Yeah, guess what he chose.

Ryo couldn't really remember everything. It was strange, everything in his memories was kind of blurry. He knew it was there and he remembered what had happened in his life in more general terms, but specific memories were hard to bring up.

He knew he had fought against Milleniummon many times now, that he had friends, that Digimon and the Digital World existed, that he had desperately wanted a Digimon Partner and finally gotten one in Monodramon - right, his actual Partner had always been Milleniummon, that Evil God of Time he had fought so often. His life was probably the saddest thing ever. Maybe it was better that he didn't remember specifics. He thought there was some betrayal in the – no, first off where was he.

The boy tensed and sat up slowly, looking around to see a hospital room. Okay, so he probably had been brought here for fear of some kind of injury, though he didn't feel very hurt. Just a few cuts and bruises left from fighting Milleniummon. What were his circumstances here anyway? Was he now some kind of homeless kid someone had found on a street? Was there another Ryo Akiyama in this timeline, now that he thought about it? After all this was another timeline in which his parents might not have gotten together. Or maybe a Ryo did exist and now – huh, could a time paradox happen if he met himself? That, uhm, would not be good. So it was probably better to leave before... -

No, that wouldn't happen. ENIAC wouldn't risk something like that. He would have scouted the timeline first. After all Ryo had been sent here because if he went home time could break. The computer wouldn't let that happen here. So he wouldn't have to worry about it.

Maybe he should have just gone home. But he had felt this huge dislike for going back...

His room, and he really was the only one in here, though there was an empty bed next to him, was painted in a watery blue-white. It was as if someone had put quiet a lot of white to the blue. A stripe of dark, sickly blue went along the entire wall. Did they want patients to feel sicker? Anyway, a TV hung on the opposite wall, over a little wooden table with one chairs on either side. Next to each bed was a little bedside table. It was white plastic and could be pushed inside or outside the room on little wheels. On his bedside table lay... something.

Ryo took it into his hand. It fit well into his hand. He guessed it was a digivice of this world. It has a shape similar to Tai's digivice, which he'd seen on the clone, however its size was more like the D3. It was mostly dark blue, but there was a white ring around its screen, with buttons below it. The brunet wondered what that slit on the side was for.

Ryo pressed a few buttons until he found what he wanted. He relaxed a little. He had wondered where his egg had gone, but it was in there. His partner was in this digivice. It was a relief. It was also easier to hide this little device than to hide a Digi-egg. Those were no small chicken eggs.

He hoped he would see Monodramon soon.

Wait, there was also Milleniummon in there, what if –

The door opened and Ryo hurried to hide his Digivice under the blanket. A nurse with dark brown hair entered with what was probably a report on his health in her hands. She looked at it while she entered, but soon looked up.

"Ah, good morning Akiyama-kun. You already look much better. Do you remember what happened?" greeted the nurse. Ryo thought for a moment. Then he frowned and shook his head.

"I, I'm not entirely sure. My memories seem a little fuzzy." He decided it was better to play ignorant. Well, he was ignorant and all, but no one should know that he didn't know his own history here. Or anywhere. Damn amnesia. What he said wasn't even a lie. At least since she knew his name he did have one – a history that is - and wasn't just some random person found on the road.

The nurse smiled gently. "That is fine. After falling down a cliff and hitting your head such things can happen. Now, can you tell me if anything hurts or feels strange otherwise?" She prepared a pen to write something down.

Ryo finally realized that he did have a little bit of a headache. Nothing much, just a little pressure he felt in his head. And he had the few cuts and bruises all over his body. But he didn't think there was anything serious. That's also what he told the nurse.

She wrote down his answer and put away the pen afterwards.

"Alright. As you said, there is no serious injury we could find. You were very lucky. You could have easily fallen into the river below the cliff instead of that ledge."

The nurse puffed up with a serious face and put one hand to her waist, the other raised in a scolding manner.

"You really shouldn't run away from home. Especially not that far away and into unpopulated area. You were lucky a wanderer passed by."

Then she gentled her gaze and voice, and lowered her hand.

"I can understand being distraught about your mother's death, but your father was very worried of you. You have to be there for each other, especially now."

Ryo didn't know what to say. He had wondered about his history here but hadn't thought he'd get it this easily. Or that his mother had died only a short while ago.

He briefly remembered his dear mother from before. He couldn't remember much, but he knew a mother's warmth and her love. - Or maybe he just imagined that. He didn't think so though. - And to think such a light had died, it hurt. Even if this one wasn't his own mum, she was still his mother in this reality.

And it seems he ran away from pain. His father was probably a wreck after his wife's death and didn't know how to properly connect to his son, leading to feeling alone. That's probably why this Ryo ran away.

Yeah, he wasn't too understanding or mature before. But what can you expect from a twelve or thirteen year old. That was his age here, right? It should be, since his body hadn't aged in the digital world. Though he was probably something like fifteen mentally. Really, that could get confusing in the Digiworld.

Wait, how did he know that? He only had clear memories from the time he met ENIAC and Monodramon and on. Really, his memories just couldn't decide if they were there or not.

And about his self here, it seems he was dead. Most likely he fell down into that river the nurse was talking about, right before Ryo came to this world and landed on that ledge. A smooth exchange for him. Was it heartless that he was a little thankful for the original Ryo's death? He was just an imposter taking his place.

Ryo smiled up, a little unsure and feeling guilty.

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

That man who was his father now had lost both his wife and son without knowing.

The nurse looked at him sadly. "Your father is here in the waiting room. I'll get him for you."

And she turned and left.

Meanwhile Ryo became nervous. Right, father. Hopefully he would be able to somehow get through this. Dammit, he would have to live with this man he didn't know and somehow keep the pretence of being this world's Ryo, when he didn't even know where he was or 'his' father's name.

Ryo groaned quietly.

Guess he'd have to wring it. Improvisation. He's good at that. Though it'd be better to actually have a plan.

The door opened again. The nurse entered again, together with a man, probably in his thirties. He had black hair and a goatee, wore a green hat and glasses and looked upon Ryo with a stern expression.

Huh, that actually resonated within Ryo. Yes, this man is very familiar to Ryo. So he was probably just like his real father. Or any other person he had met before. Dammit, if only his memories would cooperate.

Ryo winced and looked down. Great, his headache got a little worse. Better not try to remember too forcefully.

When the brunet looked up again, the man had come closer and Ryo thought he might actually have seen worry in his eyes. Either his imagination was running wild or this unfriendly looking man was actually a little worried about him. Which made sense since the man thought his lost son sat here and just winced in pain after looking at him.

Ryo looked up with some guilt. He tried smiling. It felt like a grimace.

"Sorry, dad" and didn't it feel strange to say the word. "It's just a headache."

The man stared down at Ryo, making him more nervous the more time passed. After what seemed like eternity he sighed, lowered his head and rubbed his eyes with a thumb and pointer finger. Then he looked up again.

"It's fine. So you have amnesia?" He asked with a pinched expression.

Ryo stared into his lap and fidgeted under that face.

"I guess so..."

The brunet didn't trust himself to look at this unfamiliar-familiar man who looked at him. He felt as though every secret he held was in the open. This was so awkward. He was so nervous. This was his dad! But at the same time he wasn't. 'You have to stop thinking about this. Just do!' Ryo told himself. He glanced up. Then the boy raised his head and set his face with determination.

"Dad, could you tell me a little bit about us?"

* * *

 **Sorry this took so long. I've been researching Ryo's story some more and tried to find more details. It is really hard, after all the games were only releasedin Japan. Thankfully I can just be really vague about it all. Still, it is annoying.**

 **I rewatched Digimon Tamers, especially the scenes about Ryo and when I realised he lived in Fukuouka, which is really far away from the rest of the Tamers, I was somewhat surprised. I was never interested in Japan's geography, so I just thought it was another prefecture of Tokyo. I was so wrong.**

 **Anyway, there will most likely be quite a few OCs, this playing somewhere entirely different from the rest of the cast.**

 **And I actually wanted to write Ryo's stay at the hospital through to the end in this chapter, but I seem to have some kind of blockade on his dad.**

 **Also, if anyone can give suggestions for names for Ryo's dad and the nurse mentioned here, it would be great. She will be a kind of older sister figure in the future and will help him acclimatize himself to this new world. She'll be his designated nurse or at least be the assisstant nurse to the doctor who will care for him because of his amnesia. Maybe I'll even make her the doctor herself and Ryo was just a little out of it, he doesn't even look at her name tag after all.**

 **Don't be surprised if the next chapters takes even longer. As I said, I'm not much of a writer.**


End file.
